Filippo Inzaghi refuses to blame injuries for AC Milan's troubles

Milan: AC Milan coach Filippo Inzaghi does not want to blame a perennial injury crisis for his team`s indifferent form, he said on Friday.

Midfielders Nigel de Jong and Riccardo Montolivo have joined half a dozen other players on the injury list for Saturday`s Serie A match against Verona, which is seen as crucial to Inzaghi`s future.

"I don`t want injuries to be an excuse because we have a squad that is capable of handling this," he told reporters.

"We have two important players like Montolivo and De Jong who are coming from different situations.

“De Jong did not go through pre-season training. Montolivo wanted to come back at all costs because he saw the team were struggling but you only come back from an injury like his after a year, year and a half."

Milan are joint 10th with 34 points and struggling even to make the Europa League next season.

Inzaghi played down chief executive Adriano Galliani`s two visits to the Milan training ground this week, widely interpreted as another sign that the team are in crisis.

"The fact that the president (Silvio Berlusconi) and Mr Galliani have been close to the team and the staff is something that helps Milan, they were useful encounters and were held for the good of the club," said Inzaghi.

"I always want to improve,” he added. “What drives me forward is to prove the club that they did well to choose me this summer, the team are behind me and they are not influenced by others.

"Anyone who works makes mistakes and if you don`t work, you never make mistakes," he added.